SITUATION and PROSPECTS for e-learning in SPAIN

Transcription

1 SITUATION and PROSPECTS for e-learning in SPAIN Institut Català de Tecnologia (ICT) December 2003 Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 0

2 Report elaborated by: Institut Català de Tecnologia (Barcelona, Spain), within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci Project (Ref. E/02/B/F/PP ). December 2003 This report has been elaborated with the support of the European Commission under the Leonardo da Vinci Programme. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the Commission s own position. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 1

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION.. 3 CHAPTER 1. REFERENCE FRAMEWORK... 5 CHAPTER 2. THE CURRENT E-LEARNING MARKET IN SPAIN E-LEARNING PROVISION Content providers Solution providers Technology providers E-learning associations.. 66 E-LEARNING DEMAND Corporations SMEs Public administrations Academic sector Individuals. 88 THE SPECIAL CASE OF UNIVERSITIES. 94 CHAPTER 3. FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR E-LEARNING Appendix: Delphi survey questionnaire Bibliography. 135 Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 2

4 INTRODUCTION The issue of e-learning as an advanced system for training and education using information and communication technologies (ICT) has received an increasing level of interest in recent years in most western countries. The flexibility offered by this new learning system, together with the great possibilities provided by ICT, helps to explain, to some extent, this social and economic phenomenon, and at the same time opens a broad field for research and development in the near future. As an element which aims to contribute to increasing our knowledge in this field, this report offers an analysis of the situation and prospects for e- learning in Spain at present (end of year 2003). As a starting point, chapter one provides a reference framework which includes an overview of the evolution of e-learning in our country over recent years, as well as looking at its positioning within the framework of our national educational and training system. After that, chapter two is dedicated to studying and analysing the e- learning market in Spain at present. First of all there is a short description, in general terms, of the characteristics of our e-learning market at present. This is followed by an extensive description of the main players in both the supply and demand sectors of this market. As regards the supply of e-learning services, this document provides a list and description of the key players operating in this area in our country. It includes information about them in terms of basic data (origin and background), market placement, product portfolio and technology, prices (where available), duration of courses, target groups and marketing strategy. They are classified into the following categories: content, solution or technology providers, and other relevant organisations working in the field of e-learning. A final table summarises the different players by provider Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 3

5 category, business type, markets addressed, products or services offered and approach adopted. With reference to the demand in this market, a description of typologies and characteristics of the main target groups is presented, including corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the public sector and training/educational institutions. Some topics covered by the analysis for each group are the following: sector or group overview, learning patterns, motivation for e-learning, type of products or services required, access barriers in relation to e-learning and examples of champions in this field. As above, a final table summarises group description, key e-learning characteristics, list of motivations or driving forces, products or services required and access barriers. Finally, chapter three is dedicated to exploring the prospects and trends regarding the future evolution of e-learning in Spain, including market prospects as well as key factors that are expected to determine its development and success in the medium and long term. This research work has been carried out within the framework of the Leonardo Project (T-ICT Project Ref. E/02/B/F/PP ). The objectives of this project are twofold: firstly, to analyse the situation at present and the prospects for the future of e-learning in the participating partner countries, and secondly, to develop resources and expertise in this field by means of a pilot project. The leading partner in this project is the Catalan Institute of Technology (Institut Català de Tecnologia - ICT), a technology centre based in Barcelona (Spain). The collaborating partners in this are the following organisations: ed-consult (Denmark), Economic Development Initiative (Northern Ireland), Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (Portugal), University of Ioannina Network Operations Centre (Greece), University of Luton Luton Business School (United Kingdom) and net-4-net (Switzerland). Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 4

6 CHAPTER 1. REFERENCE FRAMEWORK E-LEARNING IN SPAIN IN RECENT YEARS E-Learning is an effective learning process created by combining digitally delivered content with learning support and services. It provides a new perspective in the understanding of distance training thanks to the possibilities provided by the Internet and the new information and communication technologies (ICT). Although distance training was implemented in Spain a long time ago, at all training levels (from university 1 level to training by dossiers), Internet and ICT have introduced new ways to complement the traditional methods of distance learning. As far as university level education is concerned, the creation of UOC 2, the first virtual open university in Spain, represented a revolution in the university environment. In the academic year , the UOC launched its teaching activity by means of a pilot course with 200 students. In the following academic year ( ), the number of students grew to 1,500. At present, the total number of students involved in all its educational activities is close to 24,000, a figure which will probably increase in the future thanks to the expansion of the university in the Latin American market, with university studies accredited in the Spanish language. This growth will also be possible thanks to the fact that, due to its wide acceptance, the supply of continual education in Spanish has been expanded. 1 For example, the UNED Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (National Distance Education University) is going to commemorate the 30 th anniversary of its creation ( 2 Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia) ( Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 5

7 In fact, e-learning in Spain is in an initial phase of development. In accordance with the study The situation of e-learning in Spain 2003, published by AEFOL 3, we can distinguish four steps in the evolution of e- learning in our country, as represented in figure 1. Take-off Debugging Natural growth Maturity (e) (e) Figure 1. Phases of recent and estimated evolution of e-learning in Spain. Phase 1: Until 2001, take-off and fast growth of e-learning. Phase 2: From 2001 to 2002 the phase of blockage and market debugging. Phase 3: From to 2002 to 2005 (estimated) growth and consolidation stage. Phase 4: From 2005 to 2008 (estimated) stage of maturity and development. However, the demand is taking a long time to take off. The first estimations regarding e-learning demand were not realistic, but the steady growth experienced recently means that we can be optimistic with regards the evolution of this market in the forthcoming years. 3 AEFOL, Asociación Española de e-learning (Spanish Association of On-line Training Organisations). Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 6

8 Most western countries are now in the consolidation stage, where the demand for e-learning is growing at an important rate. So now it is time to give strong support to all e-learning projects and activities within the framework of existing European and national policies. As is known, the members of the European Union launched the e-learning Initiative at the European Council in Lisbon on March The e-learning Initiative aims to enhance the use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve the quality of learning by facilitating access to resources and services, as well as promoting remote exchanges and collaboration. As a result of this initiative, each European country supports different e- learning activities, according to its own strategy. Concerning the policies and initiatives developed to support the development of e-learning in Spain, we can highlight the following: At the educational system level. The main e-learning strategies are: 1. To provide all schools with the equipment and facilities needed to access new information and communication technologies; 2. To develop Internet courses and training; 3. To set up an observatory and laboratory responsible for the educational applications of ICT, thereby supporting innovation and development in such applications; 4. To strengthen cooperation between Latin America and Europe in the area of ICT in education. Some of the actions developed are related to the use of ICT in education, either at school or at the vocational training level. Some examples of these actions are the following: Andalusia: Averroes 4, Educastur 5, Proyecto Medusa 6 ; Cantabria: Interaulas 7 ; Catalonia: XTEC 8, Centro Nacional de Información y Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 7

9 Comunicación Educativa 9, Proyecto Mentor 10, Programa de Nuevas Tecnologías y Educación 11. Some other projects involve the promotion of information and communication infrastructures, such as Murcia Plumier - Intranet Educativa Regional 12. In addition to this, the Ministry of Education publishes a magazine called Red Digital 13, which aims to promote the use of information and communication technologies at schools and other educational centres. Other actions promoting ICT and e-learning at the educational system level are the following: Aldea Digital 14 : site of an institutional initiative for the integration of new technologies in rural schools. Catalunya Edu : site of a portal for telematic education in Catalonia. Other actions are those related to vocational and continuing training financed by the Spanish Government through the European Social Fund and through FORCEM (Continuous Training Foundation) 16. As an example, 30% of all training plans presented in 2002 were for e-learning courses. Another initiative related to the promotion of e-learning is FORINTEL. The main aim of this initiative is to promote ICT training actions for employees The project aims at giving impulse to the infrastructure of technology in education in Murcia The main aims of Fundación para la Formación Continua (FORCEM) are to support, to promote and to spread continuous training among enterprises and employees, as well as to manage the funds for continuous training. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 8

10 Some of the training actions financed use e-learning as a training methodology. Finally, there was also a project called Action Plan INFO XXI, whose main aim was to promote the development of the Information Society in Spain during the period Some of the projects financed by this plan included e-learning activities. Now, the Spanish Government has launched the Plan España.es to cover the period One of the many actions included in this plan is the promotion of accessibility to training (with a total budget of 240 million ) and digital content (with a budget of 220 million ). To summarise, e-learning has a very recent history in Spain in the framework of the educational and training system. To a large extent, the main reference point for its appearance is the initiative of the UOC university, due to its wide implementation. The Spanish and the autonomous regional governments do not carry out specific actions to implement e-learning in the educational and training system, but they have other more generic or horizontal plans that indirectly promote the development of e-learning projects and activities. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 9

11 CHAPTER 2. THE CURRENT E-LEARNING MARKET IN SPAIN GENERAL OVERVIEW E-learning in Spain is still at a premature stage. Most educational platforms based on the Internet do not have the methodology and treatment required by this new environment. The social change required by this new tool will take a long time, so we will have to wait for some time until the educational system is capable of taking on this new training tool. In the short term, it is possible that as has happened with the Internet frenetic activity will happen around any size of enterprise within this new market. Probably, as fast as many new enterprises appear, many will also disappear. So we can thus state that the e-learning market in Spain is still a very young sector. After some years of tests and pilot projects, lots of initiatives have begun to appear, but presumably only a few of them will be consolidated in the future. At the moment there is more supply than demand in the marketplace 17, producing confusion among consumers. They do not know what to choose or, even worse, whether it is necessary to choose e-learning products at all. Some companies are offering all types of e-learning solutions; others are in the market just because they are technologically able to develop solutions. It is important to take into account the training needs of companies in order to develop the correct contents and methodology in accordance with their aims and real needs. While traditional face-to-face training was the best-known method, some firms introduced electronic books as a system of e-learning. This involved selling training contents designed for classroom courses, but which were to be used in a computer environment. Consequently, the first attempts at e- learning had a few faults, such us having too much HTML and too little Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 10

12 interest for users. These experiences did not benefit from the collaboration and simulation possibilities offered by e-learning, and they did not integrate training actions into a practical and real experience either. However, they offered real potential for the future. As a result of this situation, e-learning products were so poor, and so far off meeting a minimum level of quality, that firms were reticent to introduce e- learning in their training programmes. Now that all those products have disappeared, it is time to convince companies that just having a few course catalogues is not enough. It is necessary to endow e-learning with the appropriate services so as to assist students. Increased usage of new technologies in business and continuing training (in all training environments) positions e-learning as a new way to learn, which is clearly and strongly integrated into the training plans of companies and professional associations. According to a study elaborated by Grupo Doxa 18, e-learning growth in Spain is affected by the crisis in the technological sector and by the deceleration in growth of the most important world economies. Talking in general terms, e-learning in Spain is very sparsely implemented, according to the information provided by Juan Manuel Cruz, Training and Technology Director of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), especially if we compare it with the data from the United States and Europe. His data indicates that only 180,000 individuals are following real e-learning training programmes in Spanish companies. However, taking into account the advantages of e-learning, such as reduction of costs and increased efficiency, it is expected to represent a significant part of the sector in the future Ignacio Maratech, Aprenderh (2003), Qué puede hacer el e-learning por las empresas, pp GRUPO DOXA, E-learning en las grandes empresas. Panel anual de resultados On Aprenderh (2003), Qué puede hacer el e-learning por las empresas, pp Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 11

13 However, the e-learning model does not involve any technical novelty. The real potential of this way of training is the conjunction of various elements, enabling the development of any educational content in a flexible way for students, and providing monitoring by tutors and trainers in a collaborative learning environment. This scenario offered by e-learning facilitates improves motivation for students and accelerates of their learning process. In fact, all these remarks refer to our expectations for virtual training. As we have said before, e-learning is still at a premature stage in Spain. The social change introduced by e-learning is still in progress and some time is required to adapt the learning system to this new training environment. Nevertheless, it is clear that all kinds of companies and institutions, even if they are not directly related to training, must revise their strategy and adapt to the challenges that this new way to deal with training brings with it. For the moment, big ICT and financial companies are the target groups; these have the most highly developed e-learning experience in Spain, this being mainly due to the fact that they have very good technological infrastructure systems and that training is strategically vital for them to be competitive. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 12

14 E-LEARNING PROVISION GENERAL OVERVIEW As regards the supply of e-learning in the Spanish market, we can state that it is very heterogeneous; it is made up of big technology consultancy companies, training consultants, business schools, ICT companies, universities, etc. These provide courses either to individuals or to e-learning providers who operate in the field of continuing training in businesses. This provision comes from numerous sources and is highly dispersed, without there being any clear leadership. E-learning provision in Spain is a growing sector that is closely linked to the implementation of ICT, as well as to the development of training programmes in many companies. The estimated number of companies related to this sector is around 500, of which more than 150 are e-learning providers 20. This means that there is a great level of fragmentation as a result of an emerging market (these companies have an average of 4 employees). The majority of them are quite new in the market, but there are also some training companies which have been the market for a long time (25-35 years) that are offering now e-learning courses. Following a study published by APEL 21 (e-learning Providers Association), the services offered by these providers are those indicated in Figure Apel, Inmark & Fundación Tripartita (2003), E-learning en España. Diagnóstico prospectivo y pautas de desarrollo. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 13

15 technological infrastructure content e-learning services Global services 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Fig. 2. Types of services offered by e-learning providers (source: APEL). It is considered that there are too many providers, most of them with a similar level of development. There are also numerous technological platforms, with a low number of content providers. Most of the companies offer different types of services, such us e-learning courses, technology platforms, e-learning consultancy, e-learning solutions, etc., normally without having a clear specialisation in just one service. The current growth of e-learning in Spain, by activity areas, is indicated in Table 1 and Figure 3. Activity area in the e-learning sector Growth Platforms sales Low (<10%) Technological infrastructure Technological consultancy Medium (10-25%) Contents Standard contents sales High (25-50%) Personal content development Very high (>50%) E-learning training actions Very high (>50%) Services ASP services High (25-50%) Consultancy High (25-50%) Table 1. E-learning growth by activity areas (source: Grupo Doxa 22 ). 21 Apel, Inmark & Fundación Tripartita (2003), E-learning en España. Diagnóstico prospectivo y pautas de desarrollo. 22 GRUPO DOXA, E-learning en las grandes empresas. Panel anual de resultados Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 14

16 Compound annual growth rate Millions services contents Infrastructures Fig. 3. Compound annual growth rate of e-learning in Spain (source: Apel 23 ) It is thus quite difficult to classify these companies in strict categories, as the provision of e-learning is very broad and there is not a clear specialisation in the market. However, we have tried to analyse companies belonging to the supply side, taking into account which is the most important activity that each of these carry out. We have thus divided them into four groups: Content providers Solution providers Technology providers E-learning associations Over the next few pages, some of the key players on the supply side of the Spanish e-learning market are described in detail. This description is complemented with a quick overview of some other representative companies. The selection of these key players has been made according to the following criteria: experience in the field; years in the marketplace; size, either in terms of turnover or number of employees; the range of products and services in the portfolio; and customer base. The list of players presented is not intended to be complete. 23 APEL (2002), El sector del e-learning. Estudio de la oferta. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 15

17 1.- CONTENT PROVIDERS In this section we describe some companies whose main activity focuses on delivering different types of content. We have included a few training organisations that offer e-learning courses in the list, even though some of them provide other services as well, apart from content FYCSA Website: Official classification: Group Fycsa is a training institution. Origin and background Fycsa is one of the main training companies in Spain, both in terms of its size as well as its product portfolio. It has more than 20 years experience in the training market and it s one of the best examples of a training institution which is increasing its training provision through e-learning. It has permanent offices in Madrid and in Barcelona in order to be close to customers and to offer them the highest quality services. Fycsa defines itself as an educational craftsman, providing made-tomeasure solutions: offering strategies to improve efficiency and to attain objectives, as well as providing cultural change and ensuring consolidation. Product and market placement Fycsa, with more than 20 years experience in the training market, is one of the main training companies in Spain, especially in the life-long training field. With more than 300 companies using its services, the yearly sales are estimated at over 10 million euros. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 16

18 In order to meet its aims and to respond to its customers needs, Fycsa has a staff of 90 people and 200 regular collaborators. Investment in product development is more than 10% of the sales obtained yearly. Main products and services Fycsa has services divided into three categories and aimed at two main sectors: companies and individuals. Fycsa Group offers its customer s services in: Consultancy: In order to develop a learning and management strategy to guarantee the cost efficiency of training. Training solutions: Combining an increase in personal skills with an innovative learning experience. Technology: Which facilitates accessibility, efficacy and speed in the provision of knowledge. Business services Fycsa develops complete added-value solutions for companies human resources development, as the best way of improving and generating competitive advantages for the companies is via their employees. Fycsa adds value in: Learning experience: Transferring learning experiences into key skills, which permits real change in practice and in work behaviour. Result transfer: Consolidating the change produced by training with the necessary resources to guarantee the transfer of results to the workplace. Strategy: Developing the skills needed to implement the strategy. Fycsa offers a complete e-learning solution through: Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 17

19 E-learning strategies Helping customers in the analysis of their needs, fixing the transition aims of an e-learning model and starting actions aimed at beginning successful e- learning experiences. Platform Formanet is a latest-generation platform which permits access by the head of training plans to all the on-line actions occurring on the platform and facilitating the development of a collaborative training environment for students through access to: contents, forums, training activities, tutor, quality tests, etc. The platform can be installed on an appropriately personalised customer server. Other e-learning services In order to ensure the effectiveness of the e-learning strategy implemented within the company, Fycsa provides expert services in: Managing and invigorating the plan following inscriptions, adapting the edition of the course on the web, managing the tutors and other support staff, elaborating activity reports, contacting students, etc. Tutoring the plan at different levels in accordance with the content of the course and the participant s profile. The different tutorial models are: Self study with animation Self study with reactive tutorial Self study with proactive tutorial Blended learning Courses Fycsa offers made-to-measure courses which are compatible with any platform supporting SCORM, and a course catalogue with more than 500 on-line courses is available. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 18

20 Individual services Through the New Technologies Business School, Fycsa offers individuals advanced training solutions for managers and professionals in IT, telecommunications and finance. It also provides face-to-face courses as well as on-line courses. The catalogue is the same as that for the business service and it has more than 500 courses, which are oriented to: Skills development and culture change Management of knowledge and practices Finance Banking Information technologies Telecommunications Prices As the range of services and products that Fycsa offers is very large, the prices vary according the services offered. Among the courses there are also some differences related to duration, with courses from 5 hours through to postgraduates and masters courses of hours. Main customers Fycsa s customers include over 300 firms, 17 of which belong to IBEX 35. Concerning individuals, we can distinguish three levels of participants: Management and Director level Professionals Postgraduates Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 19

21 1.2 INSTITUTO DE FORMACIÓN ON-LINE Website: Origin and background Instituto de Formación Online (IFO) is a company founded in 1996 which focuses its activity on the development of teletraining projects through the application of new technologies and the use of telematic environments. IFO has developed high-quality teletraining methodologies to apply to training projects. Importance is given to the relationship between the different actors involved in training and learning processes; in this sense, the technologies aren t the main aim, but a tool to attain the objectives of each teletraining project. Equally, IFO has carried out lots of projects helping other institutions to develop their own teletraining provision. Its experience in different methodologies and technologies available in this field has made IFO a leader in the quality teletraining market. IFO is currently oriented to the development of strategic new lines as a result of technical and methodological research, with the aim of incorporating the latest technological advances. The new lines of activity are grouped in five blocks: IFOpyme: Collaboration with portals addressed to SMEs in order to increase their range of training services. IFOmaster: Collaboration with different schools and institutions offering masters, with the aim of converting these courses into online masters. IFOclips: Short duration and thematically varied tutorial courses with interactive elements and self-evaluation activities. Internet Para.Net: Development of courses in order to show the uses of the Internet and its tools to specific professional groups, such as pharmacists, doctors, architects, lawyers, etc. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 20

22 Product and market placement The Instituto de Formación Online (IFO) has become, in its five years of existence, a leader and reference company in the development of quality teletraining projects through the appliance of new technologies to education and to telematic areas of face-to face training. Throughout its history, IFO has trained more than 400 trainers and more than 35 supervisors to distribute online courses. Also, it has distributed nearly a hundred courses in collaboration with the most prestigious and varied institutions, from which over 2,500 students have been trained. Main products and services IFO Clips IFO Clips are little interactive tutorials with an attractive design which use animations to give a general overview about a practical and specific theme. Self-training tutorials The student receives the documentation specially designed for the selftraining tutorial and does some self-evaluation exercises; it is also possible to ask questions to the tutor or trainer. Nowadays the documentation can be presented in multimedia, CD-Rom or via a web page. As the self-training requires a high level of discipline and constancy, the courses are short and practical. Virtual class courses These involve teletraining courses which apply the virtual classroom methodology. In teaching terms, this methodology is based on the attainment of the different training objectives through the interaction of the participants: trainer-student, trainer-class, student-student; telematic tools are used in order to obtain the same motivational and human aspects encountered in the face-to-face training environment. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 21

23 Platforms IFO has a web application (Campus IFO). It s a tool designed for training, and it can be easily configured and managed. It creates the possibility of having a personalised campus with the company s corporate image. It includes hosting and operation, so it s not necessary to have a server or a telecommunications system which facilitates access to users. It also has other platforms which can be personalised in accordance with the customer s needs and possibilities. Development of courses and follow-up IFO designs, structures and manages the courses, as well as developing the logistics and technical aspects, the secretarial aspects and inscriptions, methodological supervision to trainers, etc. Training teletrainers IFO develops and imparts courses which can be personalised for any company and which aim to meet the training needs of trainers. Throughout IFO s history more than 200 trainers have been trained. These courses combine different methodologies, such as face-to-face training and teletraining. Content development IFO designs and develops training materials available for use in a web environment. Conversion of face-to face courses into on-line courses For all those training institutions interested in entering the field of on-line learning, IFO carries out consultancy and assessment services, explaining all the elements needed to guarantee the success of these courses. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 22

24 Development of new courses For all those customers without an infrastructure capable of creating, designing and developing new courses, IFO has a team of educational experts in new-course design. IFO also has about 100 trainers trained for on-line course development. Main customers IFO has a course catalogue with more than 60 courses available, with a duration of between 30 minutes and 30 hours; the main customers are companies and training institutions. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 23

25 1.3 E-LEARNING.ES Website: Origin and background E-learning.es is a platform created by the Human Resources Division of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Spain, the main aim of this being to become the first e-learning platform addressed to companies, offering all the products and services required to implement on-line training, immediately and without an investment. Main products and services Factory of Contents Factory of Contents is a tool elaborated by PwC and Ingenia that permits an approach to the creation and management of training contents in an efficient and effective form. The Factory of Contents is the best manager of training contents, with options for the pick up, storage, treatment and distribution of contents. It s useful when: There is a long curriculum to adapt. The update and/or adaptation will be continued, and it is worth tackling it from a different point of view, with more effective and efficient tools. It is necessary to create contents with standards of quality in a limited period of time. Although there are many solutions on the market, e-learning.es undertook the development of Factory of Contents to facilitate the creation and management of contents in a complete manner. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 24

26 Audience analysis This solution makes it possible to ensure that any remote training action undertaken is in accordance with the plans, policy, strategy and culture of the company, and it also considers the training demands and expectations of all those involved in the learning process. With audience analysis and training needs it becomes possible to develop specific and suitable training actions adapted to the real learning needs of employees. Platform This solution allows users to use a Learning Management System platform for the development of e-learning courses in the company. The portal is managed as an ASP system (application service provider) that is installed in a common platform managed by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Implementation and follow-up There is a service of tutorials in e-learning.es for all the contents offered. This service is also complementary to the contents, supporting the transference of knowledge and learning to the day to day running of the company. The tutorial uses communication tools such as forums, chats, mail, telephone, work groups, follow-up meetings, etc Evaluation of results The objective of this solution is to determine the benefits provided by the on-line training actions in terms of the application of the acquired knowledge and abilities in the work place. Course catalogue E-learning.es has an e-learning course catalogue linked to the main partners of e-learning.es. It has more than 450 courses divided into the following areas: Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 25

27 Human resources Personnel development Management Finance Marketing and sales Law Technology Internet and e-business Tourism Health The length of the courses varies from 2 hours to 2-year masters. Prices The prices are fixed in accordance with the services requested. E-learning.es creates a personalised service related to the real needs of the user and bases the price on this. Main customers The main customers of e-learning.es are training departments or human resources departments who wish to introduce e-learning strategies into their company. There is also the catalogue of courses, as e-learning.es is also addressed to individuals, and there is a course-search service. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 26

28 1.4 SANTILLANA FORMACIÓN Website: Origin and background Santillana Formación represents the Santillana Group s commitment to increasing its activities into adult learning through new training channels. The Publishing Group Santillana is made up of a set of companies which carry out their activity in the Spanish-speaking countries. It has its origin in the publishing house of the same name, founded in Throughout its existence, the Santillana Group has been consolidating its specialisation in educational publishing, extending this beyond the Spanish borders, with special attention to Latin America, where the group is a leader in the educational book sector. In the seventies it extended its activity into the field of general publishing and its catalogue started to include literary works for all ages, in addition to works of thought or reference, and the distribution of textbooks. This line received an important impulse with the contribution brought about by the incorporation of three prestigious publishing houses (Taurus in 1974, Alfaguara in 1980 and Aguilar in 1986) and the development of its own projects, such as Ediciones Altea and Richmond Publishing. From 1998 the Santillana Group has acted decisively and, for the first time, it has become involved in the training of adults via the Internet. This project materialised with the creation of the new company Santillana Formación and the majority shareholding in the company now known as Santillana Netlanguages. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 27

29 Product and market placement Complete solutions Santillana Formación offers its customers the possibility of implementing a complete e-learning solution, which involves: A virtual campus based on the most advanced training technology via the Internet; the Docent Enterprise suite; a large catalogue of courses; personalisation of any customer requirement; advice throughout the process. Virtual campus This is for those companies aiming to implement an e-learning strategy for the knowledge management of its employees. The service involves: Administration system. The administration system allows companies to: - Create private training domains. - Define roles and permit training management: administrator, supervisor, secretary, tutor, etc. - Create professional profiles and to define skills and to establish training itineraries related to these skills for registered users. - Obtain management reports and training evaluations. Management system To store a student s progress throughout the process and to carry out a follow-up activity related to the student and each course. Virtual classrooms The virtual classrooms make the following available to organisations: training contents; learning, evaluation and follow-up activities; access to a tutorial system; other course resources, such as library, glossaries, etc; synchronous and asynchronous communication tools through chats, forums, , etc.; information and orientation tools: help system, on-line assistance, FAQ s, etc. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 28

30 Tailor-made services Personalised solutions for each customer. Specific solutions for bodies and vocational training institutions. Innovative training policies. Accompanying services. Design of services and made-to-measure contents. Personalised assessment. Training catalogue Santillana Formación offers courses in the following areas: telecommunications, financial services, tourism skills and business management, languages, and information and communication technologies. Main customers Training solutions and assessment services are addressed to: Organisations Companies and institutions convinced that the e-learning is a key factor in competitiveness and that it provides support for the company s strategy. Bodies and institutions involved in the development of innovative training policies and the design of qualifications and professional training plans. Individuals Professionals and graduates aiming to expand their knowledge through postgraduate university programmes. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 29

31 1.5. EDUCALINE Website: Origin and background EducaLine was founded in 1999, composed of a multidisciplinary team experienced in e-learning projects. Right from its beginnings, EducaLine has focused its research on teaching and technological areas. EducaLine is particularly interested in expert analysis and knowledge of all the tools available on the market and in the latest advances in teaching methodology design applied to on-line learning. EducaLine develops and manages e-learning projects for organisations, training institutions, companies and professionals. It also offers technological infrastructure and specialised professionals to cover all the phases of the development of an e-learning project: elaboration, management, training materials, multimedia technology, etc ITEM FORMACIÓN S. L. Basic data: Origin and background Elaboration of multimedia and e-learning content. Item Formación is a company specialising in vocational-training e-learning courses, and in the development of multimedia content for e-learning courses. Additionally, it also offers some made-to-measure contents development as well as a virtual campus. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 30

32 1.7 CADMO CONOCIMIENTO Website: Origin and background Cadmo Conocimiento has its origins in 1981 when it founded the Escuela de Gestión Empresarial (Business Management School). After a brief period of operation, in 1983 the company changed its name to Técnicas de Formación (Training Techniques). In 2001, after observing and analysing the market training needs in terms of the Information Society, the company expanded its range of services. As a result of this internal and external transformation, a new firm was born - CADMO/ Conocimiento, which combined the experience acquired from Técnicas de Formación with the future and the innovation of the Knowledge Society. The future of Cadmo Conomiciento is linked to the awareness needed to produce and distribute knowledge in order to help organisations adapt to the Information Society. Cadmo Conocimiento carries out its activities around the organisation s intellectual capital, using innovative teaching models supported by information and communication technologies, through its main services: e- learning, e-content and e-media. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 31

33 1.8. CEDECO Website: Origin and background Cedeco was founded on 1913 as a distance-training institution. The company now offers four training modes: in company training, e- learning, private training, and open courses, mainly focused on information and communication technologies. The target group is individuals aiming to follow e-learning courses, and it has about 800 students in Spain. Other content provider companies: Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 32

34 2. SOLUTION PROVIDERS 2.1 GRUPO DOXA Website: Origin and background Grupo Doxa is a national capital group of companies. The shareholders are the managers, the employees and the collaborators of the different companies included in the group. Grupo Doxa has its origins in 1994, when Doxa Consultores was founded as an assessment company whose main activities were the carrying-out of studies and European projects as well as the management and the development of continuing training. In 2003 Doxa Consultores absorbed Doxa Formación and Doxa Consultoría y Sistemas and formed Grupo Doxa Formación y Consultoría. Other firms within the group are: Doxa Producción y Logística (founded in 1994) Doxa América Latina (founded in 2001 and located in Santiago, Chile) Grupo Doxa has more than 110 professionals on its staff, with each member receiving an average of 60 hours of training per year. They apply a quality system with the aim of obtaining the satisfaction of customers and students. All the projects developed during 2002 were evaluated with a score higher than 4 (on a scale of 0 to 5). Grupo Doxa has had ISO 9001 certification since Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 33

35 Product and market placement Main products and services Training and e-learning consultancy Training and knowledge management consultancy. Design and development of e-learning projects. Design and development of multimedia training contents. Made-to-measure design of corporative training portals (educadoxa). Consultancy and development of e-learning solutions in an ASP option. Studies of training needs, training evaluation and the cost-effectiveness of training. Training outsourcing Training management through extranet connections using educadoxa. Outsourcing of companies and organisations training departments through the integration of information systems. Management of training plans. Development of e-learning courses Development of training actions: face-to-face, distance and blended learning, supported by multimedia tools and e-learning platforms. Development of training actions through educadoxa, an Internet training portal. Educadoxa Is the first personalised portal for training development and outsourcing, permitting continuing training plans and up-to date action. It was created as a response to the growing demand for the made-tomeasure training needs of every organisation, following the highest quality standards. This service - an ASP (Application Service Provider) - permits friendly access to the training portal without costly investment in technology. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 34

36 Doxa has developed more than 50 portals for business organisations, trade unions, public administrations and companies. E-learning training supply The supply of e-learning training is divided into the following knowledge areas: Information technologies: 133 courses available Languages: 25 courses available Commerce and marketing: 8 courses available Economics and finance: 2 courses available Quality, environment and workplace risk prevention: 1 course available Human resources: 3 courses available Business management: 1 course available Main customers Among the customers there are private companies (more than 75 companies), public administration bodies (about 32), and business associations and trade unions (about 40). There are also individuals following the different courses offered by Doxa. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 35

37 2.2. GRUPO VÉRTICE. VÉRTICE E-LEARNING Websites: Official classification: Grupo Vértice is a business group composed of 14 different firms; one of them is Vértice e-learning. Origin and background The Vértice Group is an enterprise founded 23 years ago through the efforts of professionals working in the different firms of the group and the trust of customers. Vértice e-learning emerged as the e-learning strategies and solutions provider of the Vértice Group. Vértice e-learning is the result of more than 20 years of training experience of the Vértice Group and of the efforts of the group in information and communication technologies. Uniactiva 24 ( currently constitutes one of the clearest and most representative examples of the experience of Vértice e-learning; it is the provider of the virtual campus of Uniactiva.com as well as of the learning and management system of the Universidad Abierta Interactiva. Product and market placement Virtual training environments Vértice e-learning has standard compatible spaces (SCORM), including different synchronous and asynchronous communication systems, as well as data sharing and swapping during communication. All of these are characterised by flexibility in accordance with the requirements of the public. Virtual classrooms Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 36

38 On-line auditoriums Interactive seminars Virtual campus (LMS: Learning Management System) composed of all kinds of educational resources, on-line seminars, etc. Management and administration of training environments Vértice e-learning creates on-line environments capable of handling the administration and management activities typical of any training centre. In these environments, administration management and academic management solutions are offered. As examples of administration and management solutions, Vértice e- Learning proposes: Administrative records. Area indicators (such as supply, demand, quality, efficiency ). Enrolment and on-line payment. On the academic management solutions side: Student records. Profiles and course control. LCMS: Learning Content Management System. Software and training tools Vértice e-learning develops applications for e-learning course development and design which are in accordance with the programme s characteristics and which and related to the training centre or department preferences. Dynamic creation of evaluation questionnaires. Author tools for the editing of multimedia contents. Editing and administration of on-line publications. Content edition Vértice e-learning offers an extensive rage of content in 4 different formats: paper (or pdf), CAT/L (computer-assisted training/learning) interactive (CD or intranet), CAT/L interactive (on-line Internet) and 24 Universidad Abierta Interactiva - Open Interactive University. Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain 37